That night, the image of the Empire Princess flickered before her eyes, and from then on, she became like a nightmare haunting her.
Every night when she slept, Ofilia felt as if an invisible presence was still tormenting her delicate body.
Every daydream, she could recall the absurdity of that night.
Willis Egbert, that hateful, damned woman!
She, who had been wholeheartedly devoted to studying magic, now bore a scar in her heart that could never be erased!
And to seal that wound, she had to see the culprit ruined and disgraced, reduced to a broken dog unable to rise again for all eternity!
This obsession had lingered in Ofilia’s heart ever since that day.
She had thought that this inaugural speech would be her first step toward revenge, but instead, the nightmare in her heart only grew larger, and the scar deepened.
Willis’s lips curled into a slight wicked smile as she looked at Ofilia, her predatory gaze seeming to want to devour her alive once more.
Just like that night.
When Ofilia met her gaze, she trembled and lowered her head, falling from her seat.
Those beside her were shocked and hurried to steady her.
And it was thanks to this troublesome Ofilia that Willis was able to discover more of the true power of her Real Eye.
[Note 2: The Host of the Eye of Truth can see through the essence of things.]
Unexpectedly, this simple sentence turned decay into magic!
Not only could Willis see through the flaws in magical spells and form improvements in her mind, but even her speed in casting magic improved significantly!
And Willis vaguely sensed that the effect of this ability was far more than that!
Moreover, the Real Eye was currently at its lowest level; when it advanced, it would surely have even greater functions!
Suppressing her excitement, Willis took a deep breath and continued her speech.
Although Ofilia’s outburst caused a disturbance in her inaugural address, it seemed she had weathered it well.
The other’s rash behavior made her speech more convincing, and her public image gained some subtle improvement.
Those teachers and students who had only heard rumors before would likely no longer harbor such strong hostility toward her.
“Therefore, the realization of our Empire’s grand achievements depends on the youth of our generation!”
“They are the pillars of the nation! And I, as the Empire Princess, come here to teach precisely to understand their needs and desires—a swift and convenient path!”
Sure enough, after Willis deftly resolved Ofilia’s disruption, no one dared to challenge her for quite some time during the rest of the speech.
Couldn’t you see the genius girl of the Laiensi Family was already wearing a face full of existential doubt?
Although Willis was not as terrifying as many imagined—in fact, she was an unparalleled beauty unmatched through the ages—
But with just a few words and actions, she had suppressed the Empire’s rising star into sweating nervously and trembling slightly, which was still somewhat frightening.
However, those present did not know what had truly transpired between Willis and this girl named Ofilia.
Otherwise, they would understand that the fear she showed was a dual blow to both her soul and body.
“Having spoken of abstract principles for the Empire and society, I shall now speak of matters concerning myself and the students I am to teach.”
“As is well known, on the Vistoria Continent, every intermediate and advanced form of magic, as well as swordsmanship and Belief Technique, is regarded as a treasured possession.”
“But I believe this outdated notion only obstructs the Empire’s progress and hinders those with knowledge and talent from reaching the peak!”
“Only through mutual sharing can we promote and improve together, so that our Okam Empire may prosper for all eternity!”
“And for individuals, this is also an opportunity!”
Willis took a deep breath and made her decision.
“Therefore, if I serve as a teacher here, I will share with my students a magic circle I know from time to time, whenever appropriate, teaching it wholeheartedly!”
Her words stirred a thousand waves; the entire hall erupted in uproar.
“What? Is what Her Highness the Princess says true?”
“The Empire Princess commands countless magic circles; if even a fraction could be learned, it would be a lifelong boon!”
“Damn! Why am I a professor then? If true, I’d gladly give up my reputation to become the Princess’s student!”
“Heh, fools. Does such selflessness really exist? Most likely, what the Princess calls ‘sharing’ is merely some common and well-known spells!”
“In the continent’s academies, no one shares precious magic circles unless they are a direct disciple or a trusted apprentice!”
With this, everyone in the room calmed down.
Indeed!
Since ancient times, except for Saints and Great Sages, no one truly reveals their mastered magic circles!
Because if not trusted, teaching others spells risks leakage, and more worrisome still…
The other party might emulate the Farmer and the Snake, ultimately betraying the one who taught them!
Throughout history, such ingratitude has been countless, which deepened everyone’s reluctance to reveal their spells lightly.
With this in mind, it was clear that what Willis meant was either some low-level magic she no longer used or some obscure, common magic circles!
If not for this voice, they might foolishly believe the infamous Princess truly had such goodwill!
Willis glanced at the crowd now calm and merely sneered without further explanation.
Her gaze shifted toward the source of that reminder, only to find it was an Academy professor who quickly averted his eyes, feeling guilty when their eyes met.
Sure enough, in the ensuing speech, that man replaced Ofilia in causing all sorts of trouble.
“Does Her Highness have proof for this claim? What is the basis?”
“I cannot agree with what Your Highness says; may I ask…”
“It sounds like empty words. As the soon-to-be teacher, Princess, you’d better be practical—stop preaching lofty ideals and give us a demonstration!”
Willis suppressed her anger and patiently answered one by one, but though the man looked frightened, he still dared to challenge her.
The scene was indeed strange.
Fortunately, Willis handled it without mishap.
Using the Real Eye earlier had consumed much of her mental strength, leaving her less vigorous in the latter part of the speech.
Yet Willis concealed this well; only a handful present noticed her condition.
But none dared to openly expose it in this setting.
Those who provoked her were all deliberately arranged teachers and students.
When the speech neared its end, as custom dictated, the professors asked academic questions as formal assessments.
Willis, as the Empire Princess, drew upon her past knowledge to answer well.
When it came to Vice Dean Mark’s turn, he stepped onto the stage and stood beside Willis.
First, he greeted everyone present, then bowed respectfully to Emperor Lubas, before turning to Willis.
“As the final question, Princess Willis, if you can answer it, this inaugural speech will conclude, and you will officially become a tutor at our Royal Academy!”
Mark’s deferential words did not relax Willis but instead put her on alert.
A ruthless hunter often strikes only at the prey’s moment of lowered guard, doesn’t he?
With a sidelong glance at her father Lubas sitting high on the dais, Willis smiled faintly at Mark.
“In that case, Vice Dean, please proceed.”
“I dare not accept such a favor!”
Mark’s face paled as he hurriedly shook his head.
Suddenly, magical light flickered in his hands, and the crowd below grew curious and silent—what was the Vice Dean about to do?
“As teachers, aside from instructing students, we must also, as Your Highness said, be like light itself—not afraid of darkness nor blinded by illusion.”
One magic circle after another overlapped in Mark’s hands, held back from release, cast with a measured pace.
Everyone was stunned by Mark’s magical skill, but only Willis somewhat understood his intention, a mysterious smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
“This is a disguised magic circle veiled by many common spells from across the continent, but at its core lies only one single array. Princess, can you tell us what this disguised array is?”
At Mark’s words, even the professors frowned deeply.
They had watched Mark cast and had no idea when he had mixed other arrays into the spell!
Willis raised her beautiful, crystalline ruby eyes, as if seeing through everything.